Why did I start a Blog?

The House with the Pink Door

We bought our first house (to live in) in November 2016. We were moving to an area just outside Brighton, that was a little on the expensive side and I would have needed to sell a kidney to get the house of my dreams. I have always been obsessed with watching TV programmes about the renovations of houses, notably Homes under the Hammer, Location, Location, Location and DIY SOS and was keen to put my own stamp on a property, so we decided to go with a house that needed a lot of work. After ruling out any houses that were new build, already renovated and decorated and had no room for improvement, we were left with about 6 houses in the town we had chosen to live in. The House with the pink door! It had all the room we could wish for without having to add a costly extension and was literally a blank canvas screaming out for a complete overhaul. I couldn't wait to move in and create our new home, even if it meant complete upheaval with two toddlers in tow.

The original Kitchen/Diner

The builders arrived 3 months after we moved in and started ripping things out. I was like, wait!! You’re going to start straight away? I haven’t even packed the kitchen away yet, what am I going to do for tea tonight??? I thought they were going to spend a day or two measuring and planning and I was woefully unprepared, so I spent the morning running around shoving things into boxes and turning a bedroom into a makeshift kitchen. By the end of the day, not even the kitchen sink was left standing and I was frantically phoning around family and friends trying to find someone who would cook us dinner that night.

Our first major renovations were the kitchen, utility and downstairs bathroom, which I will cover in a later blog. This wasn’t the first time I had renovated a property, I had done 2 previously, but they were empty when the builders arrived and I was never around to oversee it (I had a family friend do both renovations and put my complete trust in their project management and abilities). But actually, living in a house whilst renovations were going on around me was a complete eye opener. I became the tea maker, an Agony Aunt when one of the builder’s marriage broke down, taxi service for takeaway McDonald’s and an expert at creating family meals using just a kettle, microwave and slow cooker!

Kitchen Renovations begin

When the time came for the builders to pack their bags and say adios, I was a little sad. They had become constant companions, all to a backdrop of loud dance music, swearing and the constant aroma of coffee and bacon sandwiches. Our new sofa for the kitchen arrived the following week and I took a photo of it looking out of our bi-fold doors and put it up on Instagram. I had started following several blogs on renovating a property but didn’t realise that there was a whole community of like minded people on Instagram sharing pictures of their home. Interior obsessives just like me! I was used to posting pictures of my children and basically my Mum and sister liking it and suddenly, my photo of a sofa had people as far as Australia commenting.

So, back to my original question, why start a blog? I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on Instagram since I posted that first photo back in May 2017. It has led to fantastic opportunities, I have met some amazing people who I now call friends and it has made me realise what my vocation in life should be and I hope to start a course in Interior Design shortly. But most importantly, it has helped me find something I am passionate about. I love all things interiors, design, styling, art and more. I have found a passion for photography and I am buzzing with ideas that I want to write about! Something I never thought I’d hear myself say! I hope you enjoy my blog and welcome!